Presentation Transcript
Americans on the European Front :Americans on the European Front WWI America Saves France
Questions For Thought :Questions For Thought How did the United States prepare to fight in WWI?
In what ways did American troops help turn the tide of war?
What were conditions like in Europe and in the United States at the end of the war?
Moving Toward War :Moving Toward War Building an Army
The “preparedness movement” is all the U.S. had to prepare for war
Small military
Congress passes Selective Service Act; May of 1917
American Expeditionary Force (AEF); draftees, volunteers, and National Guardsmen
General John J. Pershing (Leader)
Moving Toward War (2) :Moving Toward War (2) Training for war
American and British lecturers served as trainers in new and expanded training camps across the U.S.
The U.S. planned to train soldiers for several months
The need to move troops to Europe quickly sometimes cut training time short
Convoy System and Americans in Europe :Convoy System and Americans in Europe The Convoy Systems
Groups of unarmed ships surrounded by armed naval vessels equipped to track and destroy submarines
Used to transport troops across the Atlantic
When the Convoy was in place, German submarines did not sink a single ship carrying American Troops
Convoy System and Americans in Europe (2) :Convoy System and Americans in Europe (2) American Soldiers in Europe
By 1918 European nations had begun to run out of men to recruit
Energetic American “Doughboys” (soldiers), helped to replace the tired European fighters
African American troops were segregated, even though high in number
African American troops were often relegated to noncombat roles
Turning Tide of War :Turning Tide of War New methods of military transportation, including:
tanks, airplanes, and German zeppelins, or floating air ships, influenced the manner in which the war was fought
Spring of 1918, Germany provided safe passage for Vladimir Lenin from Switzerland to Russia
Lenin the leader of the Russian Bolsheviks successfully overthrew the Russian republican government and made peace with Germany
Turning Tide of War (2) :Turning Tide of War (2) The truce provided valuable Russian land to Germany
With troops freed up from war with Russia the Germans gained ground in France just prior to Doughboy arrival
Germany transfers all attention towards France
Germany gets within 50 miles of Paris before U.S soldiers get to Europe
Turning Tide of War (3) :Turning Tide of War (3) General Pershing’s Troops, were able to repel the Germans in a series of battles (Page 427)
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
German troops driven to full retreat
Started September 26, 1918
U.S. helps to save Paris
Ending of the War :Ending of the War Kaiser of Germany fled to Holland
Civilian representative of the German republic signed an armistice (cease fire)
French railroad car: 5am on November 11, 1918
Guns fell silent but the war was still causing deaths
Influenza Epidemic :Influenza Epidemic It only took six hours for guns to stop being fired
The lasting affects of the war killed more Europeans and Americans than the casualties during the war
An Influenza Epidemic sealed the fate of Americans who were at home and returning veterans
Results of WWI :Results of WWI Estimated Death Toll
8 million soldiers and civilians, including tens of thousands of Americans
Many others had lost limbs or been blinded by poison gas
Red Cross
This agency along with others helped to save many lives
Results of WWI (2) :Results of WWI (2) Loss of young men
It was a common notion that the war had taken an entire generation of young men, losing many talents and capabilities
Armenian Genocide
There was an organized killing of suspected “disloyal” Armenians by the Ottoman Empire
Question to Ponder :Question to Ponder What would have happened had the U.S. not intervened in WWI?
Put a two to three sentence answer on loose paper with your name and pass it to the front of the row.